Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 67981 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67981 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
“Hey, cariño,” Emilio said, making sure to keep his voice low so he wouldn’t startle the distracted, nervous man in front of him.
Spencer jerked his head toward the doorway and looked at Emilio then down at the candles in his hands before looking at Emilio again, a blush creeping up his neck like he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
“It looks real nice in here,” Emilio said as he slowly approached Spencer. He bent down, kissed Spencer’s cheek, and then gently took the candles from his hands. “You know, nobody’s ever done anything like this for me before,” he confessed. “We only ever have tablecloths and candles on Christmas at my abuelita’s house.” He placed the candles on the table, where they’d been before Spencer moved them, and then looked up and met Spencer’s gaze. “Makes me feel real good that you went to all this trouble. Thank you.”
When the tension eased from Spencer’s body, Emilio instantly felt better.
“It wasn’t any trouble,” Spencer assured him as he walked over. “What about….” He paused and bit his bottom lip. Emilio could tell from Spencer’s expression that he was trying to decide whether he should finish his question.
If their too-short time in the bedroom had been any indication, Spencer seemed to be more at ease when they were touching. That seemed like as good an excuse as any to do what he wanted anyway—hold Spencer tight—so Emilio opened his arms. Even the orgasm he’d just had didn’t beat the feeling of satisfaction that coursed through him when Spencer walked over without hesitation, circled his arms around Emilio’s waist, and rested his face against Emilio’s broad chest. Emilio wrapped his strong arms around Spencer’s shoulders and held him close.
After a few moments, Spencer quietly asked, “What about your boyfriends? I bet they made you nice dinners all the time.”
“Nope.” Emilio shook his head and combed his fingers through Spencer’s soft hair.
“No?” Spencer sounded scandalized. He looked up at Emilio, his eyes wide with surprise. “How is that possible? You’re amazing. If I was your boyfriend, I’d be falling all over myself trying to….”
It looked like Spencer’s words caught up with his brain at that exact moment, because he stopped talking midsentence, turned an almost crimson color, and buried his face in Emilio’s neck.
“I guess I ain’t met the right kind of guys.” Emilio ran his hand down the back of Spencer’s head, and when Spencer looked up, kissed his forehead and mumbled, “Until now.”
Chapter 6
BEING with Emilio was a completely foreign experience for Spencer; it was nothing like the few one-night stands he’d had, or the start to any of his previous relationships. Meeting new people was difficult for him, so once he got to know someone, he tried to hang on. Plus, he enjoyed being part of a couple—having someone to call when something good happened at work, someone to sit with at the movies, someone by his side when an occasion called for a plus one. That had resulted in a series of semi-long-term relationships, so Spencer didn’t consider himself a novice when it came to commitment.
But usually the commitment came after a period of time dating and getting to know a guy. After that point, there was generally a careful dance about how often to call, how much time to spend together, and how to articulate feelings without pushing too hard or clinging too much. The bottom line was that Spencer was accustomed to spending time warming up on the deck, then dipping his toes in the water, and maybe eventually hanging around in the shallow end while he tried to decide whether it was safe to tread where the water level hit higher than his waist. So far, the farthest he’d gone was midchest.
He blinked at the gorgeous man gazing down at him and found himself more than a little out of breath. Being with Emilio was like diving headfirst into the deep end of the pool. Emilio petted and caressed him with a big, warm hand, eventually landing on his chest.
“Your heart is racing. What’re you thinking about so hard?”
“Swimming,” he answered.
“Swimming?” Emilio repeated, looking surprised by that answer.
Spencer nodded.
“Huh. What about it?” Emilio asked.
“Well.” Spencer licked his lips. “It can be dangerous, you know. I mean, even if you have experience in the, uh, pool. You can swim out to the middle, thinking everything’s fine, and then, out of nowhere, you get a leg cramp or something. It happens. And you’re too far from the wall, so the next thing you know, you’re going under.”
“I see.” Emilio nodded slowly. “Well, I think there’s only one way to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
Spencer thought the same thing, but he wasn’t ready to say it yet. He thought they could share a meal and spend the night together first. Maybe even the weekend.